


A Heartbeat's Throw Away

by welzes



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:49:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24089170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welzes/pseuds/welzes
Summary: The chosen bride-to-be’s family, eager for those selfsame privileges in their meager lifetime, offered their daughter to him not unlike a sacrifice at the altar.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	A Heartbeat's Throw Away

After that, he buried what was left of his humanity alongside the Oracle before donning the crown. While the laurel weighed light, the wreath sat heavy on his head as he reigned from above. Heavier still, however, were the words bequeathed unto him by the Draconian.

The Draconian’s divine revelation would see the world dispelled of its looming darkness. The path to such a future would be paved with blood. Somnus, for his part, soldiered on with a steely gaze and gritted his teeth when the ring would scorch every fiber of his being.

But a kingdom was built on more than a purge that left its people bereft of loved ones. Once the council raised the matter of an heir, nobles flocked to the castle in order to present their daughters. Thus Somnus would not marry out of love—a beautiful luxury unintended for his grasp—but for convenience of land and influence for a future long in the making.

The chosen bride-to-be’s family, eager for those selfsame privileges in their meager lifetime, offered their daughter to him not unlike a sacrifice at the altar. Although he saw her all of once, the advantages she promised drove him to accept their proposal.

She was meek, very rarely meeting his eyes and almost always making herself small in his presence. Her discomfort was palpable. Even now, after he’d received the divine right to rule, his reputation preceded him. But she was naive, too, and there was one occasion when he felt a hesitant gaze on his profile and caught a glimpse of wide, round eyes that had only heard about the horrors wrought by his stained hands. Flushed cheeks bowed out of his view as she lowered her head, slashing their engagement short.

 _Weak_ , those who had lost out on the bid to seat their daughters next to the king whispered among themselves. Being little more than a political token for a burgeoning kingdom, she simply lacked presence. Faced with the prospect of a frail queen, they questioned if she could birth the king a worthy heir. Such baseless accusations went unheeded by Somnus, and the skeptical whispers grew faint as the day of their union drew closer.

When at last they stood before each other in ceremony, the bride averted her gaze under his withering one. There were no sweeping gestures with a booming proclamation this time. Outwardly, there was no change in Somnus' expression as he maintained the countenance of a severe king. Instead, his hollowed out heart beat steadily as he beheld the innocent beauty of the bride that was ill-suited for the likes of him.

They seldom saw one another in the days following their union. His queen lived in the morning light, whereas he shrouded himself in darkness when the daemons would rise. By the time he passed her chamber at dawn, she would be sound asleep on her lonesome. And by the time she roused, he would be sat on the sleepless throne, attending to Lucis while his body could obey his commands.

Even so, they were still wed. When three days passed with no public appearances by his queen months later, he confronted the guard stationed at her chamber and slipped inside.

The chamber was devoid even of her assistants, and he found her draped over the bed as if the very life had been sucked out of her. She sluggishly looked over her shoulder. Seemingly having done so with the expectation that a well-intentioned attendant must have entered, she quickly tore her gaze away from Somnus with a gasp.

Somnus’ eyes were accustomed to the inky blackness of night. It was no surprise that her face had failed to elude his hawkish gaze in the second that their eyes had met. At the sound of his approaching footfalls, he saw her shoulders rise in mounting tension. Nonsensical excuses spilled from her lips one after another; he paid them no heed as he rounded the bed, pursuing her with a forward step when she shrank back from his visage.

A sheen of sweat dotted her temples, casting an unhealthy light on her flushed cheeks. Unlike the time he had caught her staring at him, the blushing red that seared her features now was particularly harsh. Her eyes, wide not with wonder but with apprehension, squeezed shut when he raised his hand.

Laying the back of his hand against her forehead, he felt that her skin was warmer than the norm. She was also trembling beneath his touch. He withdrew his hand and she gave a shaky gasp, her lips wobbling to choke out more needless justifications.

“You are unwell,” said Somnus. To the guard in the corridor, he ordered, “Summon the physician.”

Below him, he heard his queen shift on the bed. Having issued his command, he summarily quit the chamber with her curious gaze on his retreating back.

Foolish though he could be, he was no fool. The terror he’d seen in her eyes had resembled the expression of those he had cut down on his ongoing purge. She had no doubt suspected that he would deem her tainted and cut her down on the spot.

Not even a year ago, a wave of bitterness would’ve crashed against him at such a judgment. Now, however, resignation and acceptance were all that he had. His own queen’s wariness of his character was nothing more than a direct consequence of his choices. She was no fool, either: If she had exhibited the signs of the Scourge, he surely would’ve exorcised her then and there.

Even monsters had that which they desired to protect. As the guard departed to fulfill his order, Somnus stood outside his queen’s chamber and waited. Once the physician arrived, he stalked off in silence toward the future.

**Author's Note:**

> Considering the state of Eos at the time, Somnus’ reign was most likely on the short side. His youthful appearance as a spirit of the Ring also suggests that he died young. The day he received Bahamut’s revelation must have come as a shock, opening his eyes to the future of an entire world as opposed to that of a single kingdom. I imagine he underwent a significant cognitive shift afterward, and that what little ego he had soon dissipated as he became a faithful ruler with his happiness contingent on his brother’s liberation.
> 
> The old man in the anime claims that Somnus burned people “alive,” but this is actually creative license on the subtitle’s part. As far as we see, he burned only corpses, all of which bore visible signs of the Scourge. The rumor mill delights in gossip; claims of his harsh deeds being even crueler than they already were, were no exception.
> 
> Typically, much of what’s stated about Somnus by anyone who isn’t himself is unreliable. The Mystic is clumsy with his emotions—rather than heartless, one could argue that he has too much heart—and that awkwardness has led to many a misunderstanding.
> 
> Sorry this got long. I think Somnus is a truly fascinating character who bears the misfortune of featuring in biased narratives with context for his actions tucked away in the novel. There’s so much to unpack, but I’ll spare everyone the rest of my babbling (haha). Happy birthday, dude! And thank you for reading.


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